Blog 3: Creativity as a Tool for Teaching

On June 23, 1881, The New York Times reported the death of the “Queen of the Voodoos” (Hearn, 1881). She was a prominent figure in the French Quarter throughout her lifetime and her presence is still felt in The Big Easy to this day. In late September 2011 I had the privilege of visiting the city myself and was also exposed to the oral legends of the Voodoo Queen. One of the stories I got to hear during my walking tour involved one of the clients visiting Marie’s beauty shop asking for her help in justice for an innocent man on trial. The fantastical part of the story was about the 3 peppers that she held under her tongue every day of the trial never crying out in pain. On the day of the verdict she placed the peppers under the seat of the judge and the man was found innocent. The descendant of “an old slave woman on her mothers side, and on the other hand the best French blood of Louisiana coursed in her veins” (Hearn, 1881). She was known to entertain celebrities of the time in her home. She was also known for her charitable work and generosity. As students it is vital to be able to separate the legends from the facts of the Queen of the Crescent City. (Carter, 2016 Acrylic on Canvas)

The Chapter discussed the relationship between Executive Function, Self-Regulation of Learning, and Memory. Executive Function which is what enables us to hold information in our minds inhibit incorrect or premature responses, and sustain or switch attention to meet a goal. Self-Regulation of Learning is the capacity to understand and direct one’s own learning all throughout one’s life. Memory comprises distinct types of processes associated with different memory functions, it is not a unitary construct that occurs in a single area of the brain (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018 p.70-74). 

Gura’s ideas about using Creativity as a tool in an educator’s tool box(Gura, 2020 p.7). My field of study is art. The creation of art is a non verbal form of communication that artists use that transcends verbal communication in its limit or fluency. One of the main tools that creative instruction instills in students is creative problem solving. Mathematical instruction is structured A+B=C, scientific instruction is cause and effect, there is an order to operations to getting to the solution of the problem. Creative problem solving teaches not necessarily to think outside the box so much as if the box doesn’t exist how do you get to a solution. In the opening of the pdf, it uses an example of a student who plays guitar but doesn’t speak English hears an individual playing guitar and although they don’t share the language with the player, the musical language is universal (Rivero, 2020 p.3).

Bringing all of these elements together when we design our pedagogy and courses requires that we remain flexible in what tools we employ when teaching. Not all students learn the same whether it be comprehension level or some psychological element at play. Being able to identify how one student may retain more information through innovative digital learning, while another does better through listening to their teacher lecture because they learn audibly, and then employing those strategies to try to make their educational journey as productive is possible is what we as educators must strive for. 

Sources:

Hearn, L. (1881, June 23). The Dead Voudou Queen [Review of The Dead Voudou Queen]. The New York Times. (1881, March 23). The Dead Voodoo Queen [Review of The Dead Voodoo Queen]. The New York Times. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1881/06/23/98562422.pdf?pdf_redirect=true&ip=0 ‌
Obituary

Carter, J. L. (2016 B.C.E.). Marie Laveau [Acrylic on Canvas Marie Laveau].
Created under the direction of Dr. Donna Adams at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). How People Learn II : Learners, contexts, and Cultures. The National Academies Press.

Gura, M. (2020). Fostering Student Creativity [Review of Fostering Student Creativity]. EDTECH Digest.

Rivero, V. (2020). Fostering Student Creativity [Review of Fostering Student Creativity]. EDTECH Digest.